Netflix Plans BuzzFeed-Set Docuseries 'Follow This'

The shortform series will follow the journalists at BuzzFeed News as they report a variety of stories.

Netflix is shining a spotlight on the journalists behind the news in an upcoming docuseries.

The streamer has ordered Follow This, a weekly series that will follow the journalists at BuzzFeed News as they explore a variety of topics. Follow This will be one of Netflix's first shortform series, with each of the more than 20 episodes clocking in at around 15 minutes. It will premiere July 9.

"We're thrilled that Netflix saw the drama in the work of our journalism and the stories we tell," said BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith. "And we're so pleased to have brought what we've learned to Netflix's unmatched audience."

The first episode of Follow This will follow reporter Scaachi Koul as she talks about her reporting on the world of autonomous sensory meridian response (better known as ASMR). Other BuzzFeed staffers who will be featured throughout the season include senior culture writer Bim Adewunmi, senior national correspondent John Stanton, reporter and podcast host Ahmed Ali Akbar, science reporter Azeen Ghorayshi, BuzzFeed India editor-in-chief Rega Jha and senior tech writer Charlie Warzel.

Netflix has begun to experiment with the format and distribution strategy for its shows. The Joel McHale Show also has a weekly rollout and new episodes of the David Letterman talk show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction are released monthly. Meanwhile, Netflix has indicated a willingness to break from the traditional half-hour and hour formats with plans for a series of 15-minute stand-up specials.